System Requirements for the Unity Application Block

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This topic describes the requirements for installing and using the Unity Application Block. It also discusses how you can extend and modify the application block using different versions of Visual Studio. The minimum requirements are the following:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista operating system
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, or 3.5
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008 development system (any of the following editions):
    • The Express Editions:
      • Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition
      • Visual C# 2008 Express Edition
      • Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition
      • Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition
    • Standard Edition
    • Professional Edition
    • Team Edition for Software Developers
    • Team Edition for Software Testers
    • Team Edition for Software Architects
    • Team Suite

The Unity Application Block solution and project files are all in Visual Studio 2005 format, and you can open them and modify them using Visual Studio 2005. The binary assemblies provided with the application block are targeted at version 2.0 of the .NET Framework. However, you can use the Unity Application Block in applications created with Visual Studio 2008 by setting a reference to the binary assemblies.

You can modify or extend the Unity Application Block using Visual Studio 2008. When you open a solution, Visual Studio 2008 will upgrade the projects to its format, and you can edit and compile the code to create assemblies targeted at version 3.5 of the .NET Framework. However, you will not be able to convert the projects back into Visual Studio 2005 format. Therefore, it is a good idea to work with a copy of the original solutions and projects.